Who pays? Brand Purchasing Practices in UK Fashion Manufacturing
Who pays when fashion brands change the deal?
Unfair purchasing practices aren’t the exception in UK fashion - they’re the business model.
In conjunction with the University of Nottingham and the University of Leicester, our research finds that unfair buying practices happen at every stage of the process:
• when factories are onboarded
• when prices are set
• when orders are placed
• when changes are made
• and when payment is due
Brands cancel orders after costs have already been spent.
They refuse to pay for extra work or materials.
They impose fines - even when delays are caused by their own changes.
And they take longer and longer to pay.
On their own, these practices are unfair. Together, they form a system that rewards brands for not playing fair.
The result?
Even skilled, capable UK manufacturers are forced to operate below capacity or shut down altogether. Workers lose hours, face insecurity, and are expected to absorb last-minute pressure with no protection.
This isn’t a failure of UK manufacturing. UK factories can produce high-quality garments quickly and responsibly. The problem is brand behaviour - and the absence of rules to stop it.
That’s why we’re calling for a UK Fashion Watchdog: a body with the power to set clear rules, ensure brands pay what they owe on time and in full, and stop last-minute unpaid changes and unfair fines.
Without regulation, unfairness becomes the competitive advantage.
Read Who Pays? here:
